The Avenue

What The Avenue does

The Avenue Family Network, Inc., doing business as Caring Connection, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 777 Riverview Drive in Benton Harbor, Michigan, founded in 1891 as the National Children's Home Society for the District of Michigan. Originally focused on finding permanent homes for orphaned children, the organization has evolved over 130+ years into a multi-program social services provider serving children, families, and adults of all ages across Berrien and Van Buren Counties in Southwest Michigan. The organization rebranded from 'The Avenue' to 'Caring Connection' around 2023 to reflect its expanded scope.

The organization's service portfolio comprises four core programs: Adult Day Services providing therapeutic daytime care for adults with memory loss, cognitive impairments (Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's, stroke), developmental disabilities, and related conditions across three locations (Benton Harbor, Paw Paw, South Haven); the Empowerment Center, formerly the Cora Lamping Center, offering shelter, a 24-hour crisis hotline, legal advocacy, counseling, support groups, and sexual assault services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence; a Guardianship program with National Guardianship Association-certified case managers providing court-appointed guardianship, financial management, and representative payee services for cognitively challenged adults; and the Safe & Secure program addressing elder abuse, exploitation, neglect, hoarding, and unsafe housing for vulnerable seniors aged 60 and older. All client-facing services are provided free of charge and confidential.

The underlying operating model is a hybrid nonprofit funding structure drawing from four revenue streams: charitable donations (monetary and in-kind), government and foundation grants (Area Agency on Aging, Van Buren Community Mental Health, Riverwood Mental Health, Veterans Administration, KCF Foundation, Pokagon Fund, DTE Foundation, South Haven Community Foundation, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan), corporate sponsorships (notably Corewell Health), and insurance/managed care reimbursements for Adult Day Services. The organization employs between 51 and 100 staff, including a CEO (Robin McGinnis, MSW), CFO (Wayne Sawyer), and program directors for each major service line. The Caring Connection Auxiliary, a women's volunteer organization founded in 1915, serves as a longstanding fundraising arm via events such as the annual Ice Cream Social. The organization uses no proprietary technology platforms — its digital footprint consists of a Squarespace website, a Bloomerang donation portal, and standard phone/email helplines.

Name

The Avenue

Legal name

The Avenue Family Network, Inc.

Website

https://theavenue.ngo

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Avenue Family Network, Inc. (d.b.a. Caring Connection) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1891 that provides free social services — including domestic violence shelter, elder abuse intervention, adult day services, and guardianship — to children, families, and adults across Berrien and Van Buren Counties in Southwest Michigan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Social Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Companion Care & Social Support (non-clinical) (HLADAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Caregiver Support, Coaching & Training (HLADALAG), Community Resources, Social Services & Transportation Coordination (HLADALAK)

Keywords

• Social services nonprofit
• Domestic violence shelter
• Adult day services
• Guardianship case management
• Elder abuse prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Benton Harbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Monetary donations from individuals, community members, and organizations supporting the organization's social service programs.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Funding from government agencies, foundations, and nonprofit funders including Area Agency on Aging, Van Buren Mental Health, Riverwood Mental Health Center, and the Veterans Administration.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship support from corporations such as Corewell Health for fundraising events like Comedy for a Cause.
4. Program Service Fees: Insurance companies and managed care providers fund adult day services. Private pay options also available for some services.
5. In-Kind Donations: Donations of food, household goods, toys, clothing, and other necessities from community partners to support shelter residents and families.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Caring Connection is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free, confidential social services in Southwest Michigan, including domestic and sexual violence shelter and crisis response, daytime therapeutic care for adults with memory loss and developmental disabilities, court-appointed guardianship with certified case managers, and elder abuse prevention and intervention. Programs are delivered directly through multiple physical locations and a 24-hour helpline to vulnerable individuals and families across Berrien and Van Buren Counties.

Product overview

The Avenue (d.b.a. Caring Connection) is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of social service programs serving children, families, and adults in Southwest Michigan since 1891. The organization operates as a unified service provider with multiple interconnected programs including: Adult Day Services providing daytime care and therapeutic activities for adults with memory loss and special needs; the Empowerment Center offering shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and support for domestic and sexual violence survivors; Guardianship services for vulnerable adults requiring decision-making support; Safe & Secure addressing elder abuse and neglect; a 24-hour crisis hotline; Community Education classes; and volunteer/donation programs. All services are provided free of charge and confidential, with locations in Benton Harbor, Paw Paw, and South Haven.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Empowerment Center: Formerly the Cora Lamping Center for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence. Provides shelter, helpline, legal advocacy, counseling, support groups, and sexual assault services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
• Guardianship
• Adult Day Services
• Safe & Secure

Products and services

• Adult Day Services A daytime program providing a safe environment for adults with memory loss, developmental disabilities, and cognitive impairments (Alzheimer's, dementia, stroke, Parkinson's) to participate in therapeutic activities and memory enhancement exercises, while also providing respite for family caregivers. Funded by insurance/managed care, private pay, Area Agency on Aging, Van Buren and Riverwood Mental Health, and the Veterans Administration.
• Empowerment Center Comprehensive service program for survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their children, providing confidential shelter, a 24-hour crisis helpline, legal advocacy, individual counseling, support groups, care advocacy, basic needs assistance, and sexual assault services, delivered free of charge. Operated from community-based offices in Benton Harbor and Three Oaks, Michigan.
• Guardianship Services Court-appointed guardianship, financial management, and representative payee services for adults 18+ who are cognitively challenged, developmentally disabled, mentally ill, or otherwise unable to make or communicate sound decisions about their personal finances or emotional needs. All case managers are certified by the National Guardianship Association.
• Safe & Secure Elder abuse prevention and intervention program providing safe housing, abuse intervention, financial exploitation protection, neglect assistance, and hoarding support for vulnerable adults aged 60 and older in Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Michigan.
• 24-Hour Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline 24-hour telephone crisis line providing immediate response to domestic and sexual violence emergencies, with access via phone (269-925-9500) and email ([email protected]).
• Community Education Educational programming for the Southwest Michigan community, including SAVVY Caregiver training and Guardianship Classes, designed to build caregiver skills and public awareness around aging and guardianship topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies distributed to county nonprofits through community sharing partnership
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered major sponsor, community partner, funder, core funder, advocacy partner, food partner, core partner and program partner.

• Corewell Healthmajor sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 April 2025Major sponsor for Comedy for a Cause fundraising event on April 23rd. Corewell Health Foundation Southwest provides ongoing support for community health initiatives.
• Four Winds Casinocommunity partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated 100 Turkey Dinner Boxes for Thanksgiving and 85 Ham Dinner Boxes for Christmas to families in need in the community.
• LECO Corporationcommunity partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated hams to the domestic violence shelter to support families during the holiday season.
• Community Foundation for Southeast MichiganfunderGTM or Marketing PartnerMade monetary donations to support Caring Connection and their programs during the holiday season.
• Area Agency on Agingcore funderGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment agency funder for Adult Day Services programs serving seniors and adults with memory loss.
• Van Buren Community Mental Healthcore funderGTM or Marketing PartnerMental health services provider and funder for Adult Day Services in Van Buren County.
• Riverwood Mental Health Centercore funderGTM or Marketing PartnerMental health services provider and funder for Adult Day Services programs.
• Veterans Administrationcore funderGTM or Marketing PartnerFederal government funder providing support for Adult Day Services for veterans and their families.
• United Way of Southwest Michigancore funderGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor nonprofit funder and community partner supporting various programs and services.
• South Haven Elks Clubcommunity partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided in-kind donations of food, paper products, household goods, toys and clothing for families staying at the domestic violence shelter during December.
• Berrien County Sheriff's Departmentcommunity partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided in-kind donations for families at the domestic violence shelter.
• Girl Scouts (Berrien County and Northern Indiana Michiana)community partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerDelivered over 1100 boxes of unsold cookies to Caring Connection which were then shared with other county nonprofits.
• Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violenceadvocacy partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level coalition advocating for funding of critical victim services and prevention programs.
• Feed America West Michiganfood partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerFood bank partner providing support for food distribution programs.
• KCF FoundationfunderGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation funder supporting community programs and services.
• Pokagon FundfunderGTM or Marketing PartnerPrivate foundation providing financial support for community initiatives.
• DTE FoundationfunderGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate foundation supporting community programs and services.
• South Haven Community FoundationfunderGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal community foundation supporting programs in the South Haven area.
• Caring Connection Auxiliarycore partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerWomen's organization supporting and raising funds for community services since 1915. Known for annual Ice Cream Social fundraiser, provides monthly meals for support groups, and exit baskets for shelter guests.
• St. Joseph/Benton Harbor Rotarycommunity partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerService club providing community support and donations.
• Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harborcommunity partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerYouth organization providing in-kind donations and community support.
• YDC (Youth Development Center)program partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization for Intergenerational Program at South Haven Adult Day Center, with children participating in story time activities with adult day participants.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• United Way of Southwest Michigan: Major regional nonprofit funder and convener supporting human-services programs across the same counties — directly comparable in nonprofit governance, funding mobilization, and community-coordination role that Caring Connection plays.
• Area Agency on Aging Region IV: Southwest Michigan's primary funder and operational peer for elder services, including adult day programming, caregiver support, and elder abuse intervention — directly comparable to Caring Connection's Adult Day Services and Safe & Secure programs.
• YWCA Southwest Central Michigan: Regional YWCA chapter operating a domestic violence/sexual assault shelter and survivor services in Kalamazoo/Battle Creek — directly comparable to Caring Connection's Empowerment Center program in mission, service mix, and Southwest Michigan footprint.
• Salvation Army of Southwest Michigan: Community-services nonprofit operating emergency assistance, shelter, and senior support across the same Southwest Michigan region — directly comparable in shelter operations, fundraising model, and donor competition.
• Goodwill Industries of Southwest Michigan: Nonprofit social enterprise serving Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties with workforce development, disability services, and community programs — directly comparable in scale, regional footprint, and multi-program nonprofit model.
• Family & Children's Services of Western Michigan: Regional social-services nonprofit providing counseling, advocacy, and family support — directly comparable in mission, 501(c)(3) model, and Southwest Michigan service territory.
• Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Michigan: Community-based nonprofit serving Berrien and Van Buren Counties with similar donation- and volunteer-driven operating model — comparable in regional nonprofit governance, fundraising scale, and corporate-sponsorship overlap (LECO, Corewell, etc.).
• Meals on Wheels of Southwest Michigan: Nonprofit delivering in-home nutrition and social-check-in services to seniors in the same region — directly comparable in elder-services mission, donor/volunteer mobilization model, and Safe & Secure client overlap.
• Catholic Charities of Southwest Michigan: Broad nonprofit social-services provider offering counseling, family services, and community support across Southwest Michigan — directly comparable in multi-program nonprofit service delivery and funding-base overlap.
• The Arc Southwest Michigan: Regional chapter serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities — directly comparable to Caring Connection's Guardianship and Adult Day Services client base and disability-care mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theavenuefamilynetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-avenue-family-network-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Avenue